Phalaenopsis orchid plant named &#39;Doremi&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Phalaenopsis  plant named ‘Doremi’ particularly characterized by flowers which are white with some yellow in the labellum; plants which may be propagated economically and uniformly using tissue culture; plants which produce more than one inflorescence; long and sturdy inflorescences; and relatively short, dark-green foliage.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Phalaenopsis hybrida

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Doremi’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phalaenopsis plant, botanically known as Phalaenopsis of the Orchidaceae family, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Doremi’.

Phalaenopsis comprises a genus of about 55 species of herbaceous perennials many of which, or the hybrids thereof, are suitable for cultivation in the home or greenhouse. Phalaenopsis is predominantly epiphytic or rock-dwelling, and is native to tropical Asia, the Malay Archipelago, and Oceania. The species typically has 2-ranked, fleshy, oblong or elliptic leaves affixed to a short central stem (monopodial growth), which vary in size from 5 to 8 inches to over 2 feet. The leaves may be entirely green or mottled with silver grey.

Phalaenopsis orchids, often referred to as ‘Moth Orchids’ in the horticultural trade, are frequently used to furnish cut flowers for the florist trade or sold as flowering potted-plants for home or interiorscape.

Phalaenopsis produces upright or pendent lateral racemes, often with many showy flowers which open in succession beginning with the lowermost. The flowers possess three sepals and three petals; the lateral ones being alike. The lowermost petal, called the labellum, is three-lobed and is often more brightly-colored than the other flower segments. Flower colors include various shades of pink, white, yellow and red-brown.

Phalaenopsis orchids are typically propagated from seeds. Asexual propagation of Phalaenopsis is often done from off-shoots which frequently arise from the lower bracts of the inflorescence. The resulting plants are detached from the mother plant and may be planted in a suitable substrate.

The new Phalaenopsis ‘Doremi’ is a product of a controlled breeding program conducted by the inventor, René Schoone, in Strengweg, Heemskerk, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop a new Phalaenopsis cultivar particularly characterized by its attractive and unique colored flowers, economical propagation via tissue culture, rapid growth, and a plant dimension suitable for packaging and shipping to the market.

The new Phalaenopsis ‘Doremi’ originated from a cross made by the inventor in 2000 in Strengweg, Heemskerk, The Netherlands. The female or seed parent is the Phalaenopsis cultivar designated ‘Snow Tiger’, unpatented. The male or pollen parent is the Phalaenopsis cultivar designated ‘Funny Virgin’, unpatented. The new Phalaenopsis ‘Doremi’ was discovered and selected by the inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in 2008 in Strengweg, Heemskerk, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new Phalaenopsis cultivar by tissue culture was first performed in November, 2008 in Cieweg 13, Heemskerk, The Netherlands, and has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar asexually reproduces true-to-type.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be unique characteristics of ‘Doremi’, which in combination distinguish this Phalaenopsis as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. flowers which are white with some yellow in the labellum;

2. plant produces more than one inflorescence;

3. plants may be propagated economically and uniformly using tissue culture;

4. inflorescences are long and sturdy; and

5. relatively short, dark-green foliage.

In comparison with the parental cultivars of ‘Doremi’, the female parent ‘Snow Tiger’ has white flowers which are about 10 cm in size; the raceme is about 60 cm. The male parent ‘Funny Virgin’ has white colored flowers which are about 9 cm in size; the raceme is about 70 cm, whereas the flowers of ‘Doremi’ are white and about 9 cm in size and the raceme is about 50 to 60 cm.

Presently, the commercial cultivar to which ‘Doremi’ can be meaningfully compared is ‘Snow Virgin’. ‘Snow Virgin’ has a lager raceme than ‘Doremi’ and ‘Snow Virgin has green/yellow in the labellum, whereas ‘Doremi’ has yellow in the labellum.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Phalaenopsis ‘Doremi’ showing the colors as true as is reasonably possible with colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the color of ‘Doremi’.

FIG. 1 shows a side view perspective of a typical flowering plant of ‘Doremi’ in a 12 cm pot, at 16 months of age.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of the typical buds and flowers of ‘Doremi’.

FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of the typical leaves of ‘Doremi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Phalaenopsis cultivar ‘Doremi’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length without any change in the genotype of the plant.

The aforementioned photographs, together with the following observations, measurements and values describe plants of ‘Doremi’ as grown in a greenhouse in Strengweg, Heemskerk, The Netherlands, under conditions which closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice. Initially, the ideal temperature to grow plants of ‘Doremi’ is 27° C. during the day and at night. Then, during the flowering phase of ‘Doremi’, the ideal growing temperature is 20-22° C. during the day and 18° C. at night. Light levels for growing ‘Doremi’ are a minimum of 5,000 lux and a maximum of 10,000 lux. A balanced fertilizer with level of 200 ppm N, 87 ppm P, 168 ppm K is applied. Duration of growth of ‘Doremi’ from potting size is between 10 and 14 months.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.), 2007 edition, except where general colors of ordinary significance are used. Color values were taken under daylight conditions at approximately noon in Zaandammerweg, Assendelft, The Netherlands. The age of the ‘Doremi’ plants described is 12 months after potting.

-   Classification:     -   -   Botanical.—Phalaenopsis hybrid. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female or seed parent.—Phalaenopsis cultivar designated             ‘Snow Tiger’, unpatented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Phalaenopsis cultivar designated             ‘Funny Virgin’, unpatented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—tissue culture.         -   Rooting habit and description.—Fleshy; approximately 3 mm-7             mm wide and greyed/green in color (RHS 195A and RHS 198C);             freely branching. It takes 12 weeks for plants growing in             tissue culture to initiate roots. -   Plant:     -   -   Size at maturity.—Height (from bottom of pot to highest             flower): about 60 cm Spread: about 35-65 cm.         -   Growth habit.—standard; green leaves (RHS N137B) and a             relatively normal raceme.         -   Vigor.—moderate.         -   Crop time.—Following asexual propagation, at about 26 weeks             2 leaves appear; at about 30 weeks 3-4 leaves appear; after             a cold treatment of about 4-8 weeks at a temperature of             about 19° C. about 2 racemes with flowers appear. -   Foliage:     -   -   Quantity per plant.—About 6 to 10 leaves are produced before             flowering.         -   Arrangement and attachment.—half up/horizontal and on two             sides.         -   Overall shape of leaf.—oval, the tip is blunt and             asymmetric.         -   Texture (upper & underside).—smooth and leathery.         -   Pubescence.—none.         -   Mature leaf length.—about 15 to 23 cm.         -   Mature leaf width.—about 7 to 10 cm.         -   Mature leaf thickness.—about 2 mm.         -   Mature leaf color.—upper side: green (RHS N137B); edges are             RHS 138A. Some edges are greyed/purple at the base (RHS             183A) Under side: green (RHS 146A).         -   Leaf base.—acute.         -   Margin.—entire.         -   Venation.—Pattern: parallel Color of midvein: upper side:             green (RHS N137B) under side: green (RHS 144C). -   Raceme:     -   -   Quantity per plant.—about 1 to 3.         -   Number of flowers per raceme.—about 5 to 15.         -   Length.—about 45 to 60 cm.         -   Diameter.—about 5 to 7 cm.         -   Strength.—strong.         -   Aspect.—upright.         -   Texture.—glabrous and smooth.         -   Color.—green (RHS 138A) with yellow/green spots (RHS 146C).         -   Internode.—Length: about 35 to 45 mm. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—upright to slightly pendant, racemose             inflorescence with bilaterally symmetrical flowers that open             in succession beginning with the lowermost flower.         -   Buds.—Height (from base to tip): about 20 to 26 mm Diameter             (at midpoint): about 20 mm Shape: oval/egg-shaped Color:             yellow/green (RHS 145A) which runs into RHS 145C.         -   Flowering time.—For an untreated plant (flowering plant that             has not undergone cold-treatment where the plant grows at a             temperature of 18° C. to 19° C. for about 4 to 8 weeks after             a period of about 30 weeks at a temperature of 25° C.), 2             racemes appear with about 16 to 20 flower buds and flowers             per inflorescence. First flowers can be expected             approximately 4 to 6 months after planting a plant with a             leaf diameter of 3 to 5 cm. Flowers persistent.         -   Flowering longevity.—On the plant: about 4 to 6 months;             lastingness of cut flowers: has not been observed.         -   Fragrance.—no fragrance.         -   Flower.—Rate of opening: Flowers fully opened about 2 to 3             days after petal and sepal separation. Orientation at             opening: slanted upward and outward. Shape: typical shape of             Phalaenopsis; see FIG. 2 Size (of single bloom): Height:             about 8 cm Diameter: about 9 cm Depth of tube: about 16 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: three petals and three             sepals that are trimerous, overlapping and arranged in 2             whorls. Petals are more pronounced than sepals Arrangement:             Inner whorl comprises 3 petals: 2 lateral petals and             labellum. 2 lateral petals.—Overall shape: broadly ovate and             weakly cupped Apex: oval/round Margin: entire and weakly             undulate Base: broadly ovate Length: about 53 mm Width:             about 45 mm Texture: Upper surface: smooth and satiny Under             surface: smooth and satiny Color (when fully opened): upper             side and under side: white (RHS NN155C) Labellum: Overall             shape: 3-lobed with 2 prominent callosities at central             junction of the lateral lobes and base of the midlobe.             Lateral lobes of labellum fold upward about the column; the             midlobe extends forward and is terminated by 2 filiform             appendages at the apex. Lateral lobes of the labellum are             ovate in shape while the midlobe is triangular with a bump             and a rib on it Margin: entire and weakly undulate. Apex:             oval Length: about 18 mm Width (not flattened): about 20 mm             Texture: Upper and under surface: smooth and satiny Color             (when fully opened): Midlobe, upper side: Main color is             white (RHS NN155C). At the base little yellow in the center             and yellow in the corners (RHS 6A, some are RHS 2A). At the             base upper edges and a little in the center red/purple (RHS             59B). Under side: white (RHS NN155C). At the base, the             corners are yellow (RHS 6A, some are RHS 2A). Upper edge is             red/purple (RHS 59A) which runs into RHS 59B. Lateral lobes,             upper side: Main color is white (RHS NN155C), from base             purple stripes (RHS 59A). Lower edge is red/purple (RHS 59B)             which runs into a broad yellow edge (RHS 6A, some are RHS             2A). Under side: white (RHS NN155C), lower edges is yellow             (RHS 6A or RHS 2A). At the base also a small red/purple edge             at the bottom (RHS 59A). Cirrhi: long and curly (about             18 mm) color: white (RHS NN155C). Pestle (Callosities):             Length: about 4 mm Width (not flattened): about 6 mm Color:             white (RHS NN155C) with red/purple stripes and spots (RHS             59A). front and top edges have some yellow (RHS 5B).         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Outer whorl comprises 3 sepals. Overall             shape: elliptical and weakly cupped. Lateral sepals are             little narrower Margin: entire and weakly undulate Length:             about 48 mm Width: about 33 mm Apex: oval/little pointy             Texture: Upper and under surface: smooth and satiny Color             (when fully opened): Upper side: Dorsal and lateral: white             (RHS NN155B). Lateral sepals have some small red/purple             spots close to the base (RHS 70B). Under surface, Dorsal:             white (RHS NN155C). Some have a yellow/green haze (RHS 145B)             and some have a little red/purple haze (RHS 70B). Lateral:             white (RHS NN155C). Close to the base and/or close to the             point some have a red/purple haze (RHS 70B). Some also have             a yellow/green haze over the sepal (RHS 145B).         -   Pedicel.—Length: about 35 mm to 45 mm Diameter: about 4 mm             Texture: glabrous and smooth Color: white (RHS NN155C) with             a red/purple haze (RHS 70A) and close to the end             yellow/green (RHS 144C). -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Arrangement.—The stamens, style and stigmas are fused into a             single, short structure called the column, possessing one             terminal anther with pollen grains united into a pollinia,             which are covered by an anther cap. The stigma is located             under the column behind the pollinia. The ovary is inferior             with three carpels present. The plant has not produced seed.         -   Column.—Length: about 7 mm Diameter: about 6 mm Color: white             (RHS NN155C).         -   Pollinia.—Quantity: two Diameter: about 2 mm Color: orange             (RHS 24A).         -   Ovary.—Length: about 2 mm Diameter: about 3 mm Color: white             (RHS NN155C). -   Disease/pest resistance/susceptibility: No specific resistance or     susceptibility observed -   Temperature tolerance: Tolerant to a low temperature of about 15° C.     and to a high temperature about 30° C. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct Phalaenopsis plant named ‘Doremi’, as illustrated and described herein. 